A/N: Yay, finished another story! So I'll let Peter and Jake ride off into the sunset together where they belong :) And see you next story -DL
Chapter 14
“Okay, Pete, straddle the bike behind me,” Jake said. “And put your arms around my waist. Hold on as tightly as you want.”
Peter tentatively scrambled up on the bike behind Jake, throwing his arms around the biker’s waist. He rested his helmet-covered head against the back of Jake’s leather vest, trying not to whimper in fear. Sure, he was determined to do this. But the bike was just so big! A huge, gleaming chrome and black monster, a thing of leashed power coiled under him. He closed his eyes, gritting his teeth as Jake started the bike and the rumbling growl vibrated through his very bones.
He kept his eyes closed as they jerked into motion, his arms closed so tightly around Jake that they felt like they were going numb. He couldn’t do this, he couldn’t do this, he couldn’t do this! Sure, he didn’t feel much under him now that they were moving, and it didn’t even feel like they were actually in motion…but the loud growl of the engine rang in his ears, and all he could think about was the fact that there was nothing between him and the unforgiving surface of the road except for the bike he was straddling. If they fell over, he’d be squashed like a bug…
“Open your eyes, Pete!” Jake called to him, and he did because he was so startled that Jake knew without looking that he’d had his eyes closed. He saw houses and apartment buildings moving past on either side at a sedate pace, and he realized that they were merely idling along. Jake was taking him on the leisurely drive around the block that he’d promised, and Peter felt a lot less scared when he saw how slow they were going.
Jake pulled up at a corner and rested his booted foot on the surface of the road as he looked over his shoulder at his passenger. “See? Nothing to it, Pete,” he said with a reassuring grin. He revved the engine, making Peter’s eyes go wide behind the glass of the helmet visor. “I told you I’d keep you safe. Just hold on, and don’t worry about a thing.”
He pushed off with his foot, and they took off around the corner in a neat, smooth turn that made Peter yelp a little as the bike tipped slightly in the turn. But Jake righted it right away, and they were moving down the street without incident. He took in a deep breath and tried to relax. This wasn’t so bad! If he just held onto Jake, everything would be fine. The biker knew what he was doing. He’d promised to keep Peter safe, and he knew that Jake would keep that promise. He turned his head, looking around. It was so weird riding a vehicle that was open to the air, with no doors or roof or body to contain them. But there was also something rather freeing about that fact. They weren’t imprisoned in a metal cage, and he could feel the air flowing over him on the sides as it rippled past Jake’s big body…
They took another corner, and he wasn’t as afraid this time. They weren’t going to tip over! Jake always righted them again. Peter found that he was now almost totally relaxed. This wasn’t bad at all! His arms had even loosened around Jake’s waist, so the blood flow wasn’t cut off anymore.
Jake turned into the parking lot of their apartment building, bringing the bike to a smooth halt. He put down the kickstand and said: “Hop down, Pete.”
He did, though it wasn’t easy because his legs were trembling a little. He staggered a bit, then felt a big hand cupping his elbow to hold him up. “Hey, there, Pete. So what did you think?” Jake asked him.
He reached up to take off the helmet, drawing in a deep breath of air. He blinked the sweat out of his eyes. “It was…” he began, his voice croaking a little.
Jake tensed up, but then relaxed as Peter burst out excitedly: “Awesome! I loved it! That was so cool, Jake!”
He smiled widely at the way Peter’s blue eyes had lit up from within. “I’m glad you liked it, Pete,” he said. “So you think you’d like to take a longer ride soon? Maybe out on the highway?”
“Can we?!” Peter asked eagerly.
Jake reached out and ran a hand down his arm. “We sure can. But for now, I think we should go inside and celebrate. What do you think, Pete?”
Seeing the hunger in Jake’s eyes, Peter gasped. “Yes,” he said. “Let’s do that.”
Peter walked out of the courtroom and stood in the hallway outside shaking, his hand pressed to his mouth. He didn’t think that he’d ever done anything more difficult in his entire life than taking the stand and testifying about what had happened that night at the convenience store. The only thing that had kept him going had been the presence of Jake, sitting in the first row with his eyes trained on Peter’s face. His eyes seemed to be saying silently: “You can do it, Pete. Don’t let them win.”
And he hadn’t. He’d testified in a steady, calm voice, even when he’d gotten to the part about one of his attackers tracking him down and trying to kill him to keep his mouth shut. Only now, when it was finally over, could he break down and give into the emotions churning around inside of him. He wanted to be sick. He looked around for a bathroom, not wanting to heave all over the shiny marble floor.
“Hey, Pete, you did really well,” he heard a familiar voice say, then Jake’s hand touched his shoulder and the fingers squeezed reassuringly.
That touch steadied him instantly. The nausea receded, and he found that his shaking had stopped. He looked up into his lover’s eyes, and the biker touched his cheek with his free hand. “Doing okay?” he asked softly.
Peter nodded. “I am now,” he said, reaching up to touch Jake’s fingers. “That was awful, Jake,” he whispered.
“I know, baby. But you did it. And it’s over. Those guys are going to jail, some of them for a long time. That cocksucker who tried to knife you should be GLAD that he’s going to be behind bars where I can’t get to him,” he added savagely.
Peter found himself smiling. “Yes, he should be,” he agreed.
“Let’s go home, Pete,” Jake said. “I’ll make you dinner, run you a hot bath, and give you a massage. Sound good?”
“It sounds great,” Peter replied fervently. “Really great.”
The roar of motorcycles filled the air, and the parking lot of the road house was a sea of chrome, metal, denim, and leather. A big black-and-chrome bike pulled into the parking lot, and when it came to a stop a slender figure crawled off the back and reached up to remove a motorcycle helmet. There were some stares when the other bikers in the parking lot saw that the passenger on the bike was a young man, but nobody said anything when they saw the size of the biker now getting off the bike himself. And then one of them, a grizzled older guy, yelled: “Hey, Jake! How’s it goin’, man?!”
\
He strode over to grab Jake’s hand and squeeze it, in more of a display of who was stronger than a handshake. “Hey, Dan, good to see ya,” Jake replied, returning the squeeze.
“Who’s this?” Dan asked, eyeing Peter.
“Dan, this is Pete. Pete, this is Dan Hoag. We’ve known each other for years. Pete here is my biker babe,” Jake said with a grin.
Peter tensed, waiting for the older man to react badly to this statement. But to his shock, Dan nodded in acceptance. “Was wondering when you’d find somebody, Jake,” he said in genial scorn. “Thought you’d turned into a monk or something.”
“Nah, I could never be a monk. Being celibate is no fun,” Jake replied with a shrug. “Anyhow, I brought Pete along to show him what a biker rally looks like. We’re not going to stay long, though. I know lots of the guys would be pissed about me being with Pete. Just stopped to say hello to you when I saw you here. Knew you wouldn’t care about me and Pete being together.”
“Course not,” the older biker said. “My son just got engaged to Ricky.”
“Ah,” Jake said as Peter’s eyes widened at this statement. “Congratulations, Dan. When’s the wedding?”
“Next year in New York. I’m lookin’ forward to it. You want me to send you an invite?”
“Sure. Let me give you my address,” Jake produced a piece of paper and pencil from somewhere in his leather vest and wrote down their address. “We’ll mostly be here, though Pete’s agreed to take some trips with me,” Jake told Dan as he handed the slip of paper to him.
“Ah, settling down in your old age, eh?” Dan said, again in genial scorn.
Jake laughed. “Yep, guess so. You know how it is - you find the right one, you’re willing to get all domestic,” Jake said as he put his arm around Peter’s shoulders. “How long did you play the family man for Rosa?”
Dan shrugged. “You got me there,” he agreed. “Man, I still miss her. Anyway, take care of yourself, kid. And it was nice to meet you, Pete. Good to see there’s somebody who could tame this beast, here,” he jerked a thumb at Jake, who snorted.
“It was nice to meet you, too, Dan,” Peter said softly.
Dan eyed him, then Jake. “He seems too nice for you,” he drawled to Jake.
Jake nodded. “Probably. But I’m still keeping him,” he pulled Peter up against him possessively.
“Heh. You do that. Bring him to the wedding.” Dan said heartily.
“I will. Come on, Pete. We should get going. I want to reach a good motel before dark so we can get something to eat.”
“Okay. Goodbye, Dan,” Peter said as Jake straddled his bike.
“See ya, kid. I’ll send you that invite, Jake,” Dan lifted a hand as Peter crawled on the back of the bike and put his arms around Jake’s waist.
“Later, Dan. We’ll be there,” Jake also lifted his hand, before he pulled out of the parking lot of the road house in a roar of engine noise.
Peter lay on the bed in the motel and sighed. Riding the bike wasn’t scary for him anymore, but it DID make his lower back hurt dully. He was glad for a comfortable mattress to cushion him. Jake was outside doing something to the bike, leaving Peter to rest. He reached out and picked up the remote control, clicking on the TV.
Jake breezed in, smiling when he saw Peter stretched out on the bed. “Getting ready for me, baby?” he teased.
Peter looked up at him, and managed a faintly sultry smile of his own. “Maybe,” he said throatily.
Jake drew in a harsh breath. “You know how sexy you look in those clothes?” he said, his eyes running over the denim and leather that Peter was clad in.
“Do I? Show me how sexy I am, Jake,” Peter purred as he stretched his arms invitingly over his head.
Jake strode over to the bed and sat down, reaching out to pull Peter into his embrace. He kissed his lover’s lips deeply, making Peter moan for him. When he pulled back he said quietly: “Thanks for coming on this trip with me, Pete. The only really bad thing about life on the road is how lonely you can get. But now I’m not lonely anymore, so life is perfect.”
He looked deep into Jake’s eyes. “And I’m with you, so my life is perfect, too,” he said simply.
Jake smiled. “Good to hear it. Because I may go lots of places after this, but I’ll always come back to you, Pete. You’re the home I’ve always wanted to come back to. I love you, baby.”
He put his arms around Jake’s neck. “I love you, too, Jake. With all my heart.” he paused, then laughed suddenly.
Jake’s brows lifted a little. “What’s so funny?”
“I think that whatever happens in my life after this, it’s always going to be a wild ride,” Peter replied, his eyes sparkling.
Jake mock-leered at him. “You got that right, sexy. I’ll definitely always give you a wild ride,” he said, just before he pushed Peter down on the bed and proceeded to keep his word.
The End
Chapter 14
“Okay, Pete, straddle the bike behind me,” Jake said. “And put your arms around my waist. Hold on as tightly as you want.”
Peter tentatively scrambled up on the bike behind Jake, throwing his arms around the biker’s waist. He rested his helmet-covered head against the back of Jake’s leather vest, trying not to whimper in fear. Sure, he was determined to do this. But the bike was just so big! A huge, gleaming chrome and black monster, a thing of leashed power coiled under him. He closed his eyes, gritting his teeth as Jake started the bike and the rumbling growl vibrated through his very bones.
He kept his eyes closed as they jerked into motion, his arms closed so tightly around Jake that they felt like they were going numb. He couldn’t do this, he couldn’t do this, he couldn’t do this! Sure, he didn’t feel much under him now that they were moving, and it didn’t even feel like they were actually in motion…but the loud growl of the engine rang in his ears, and all he could think about was the fact that there was nothing between him and the unforgiving surface of the road except for the bike he was straddling. If they fell over, he’d be squashed like a bug…
“Open your eyes, Pete!” Jake called to him, and he did because he was so startled that Jake knew without looking that he’d had his eyes closed. He saw houses and apartment buildings moving past on either side at a sedate pace, and he realized that they were merely idling along. Jake was taking him on the leisurely drive around the block that he’d promised, and Peter felt a lot less scared when he saw how slow they were going.
Jake pulled up at a corner and rested his booted foot on the surface of the road as he looked over his shoulder at his passenger. “See? Nothing to it, Pete,” he said with a reassuring grin. He revved the engine, making Peter’s eyes go wide behind the glass of the helmet visor. “I told you I’d keep you safe. Just hold on, and don’t worry about a thing.”
He pushed off with his foot, and they took off around the corner in a neat, smooth turn that made Peter yelp a little as the bike tipped slightly in the turn. But Jake righted it right away, and they were moving down the street without incident. He took in a deep breath and tried to relax. This wasn’t so bad! If he just held onto Jake, everything would be fine. The biker knew what he was doing. He’d promised to keep Peter safe, and he knew that Jake would keep that promise. He turned his head, looking around. It was so weird riding a vehicle that was open to the air, with no doors or roof or body to contain them. But there was also something rather freeing about that fact. They weren’t imprisoned in a metal cage, and he could feel the air flowing over him on the sides as it rippled past Jake’s big body…
They took another corner, and he wasn’t as afraid this time. They weren’t going to tip over! Jake always righted them again. Peter found that he was now almost totally relaxed. This wasn’t bad at all! His arms had even loosened around Jake’s waist, so the blood flow wasn’t cut off anymore.
Jake turned into the parking lot of their apartment building, bringing the bike to a smooth halt. He put down the kickstand and said: “Hop down, Pete.”
He did, though it wasn’t easy because his legs were trembling a little. He staggered a bit, then felt a big hand cupping his elbow to hold him up. “Hey, there, Pete. So what did you think?” Jake asked him.
He reached up to take off the helmet, drawing in a deep breath of air. He blinked the sweat out of his eyes. “It was…” he began, his voice croaking a little.
Jake tensed up, but then relaxed as Peter burst out excitedly: “Awesome! I loved it! That was so cool, Jake!”
He smiled widely at the way Peter’s blue eyes had lit up from within. “I’m glad you liked it, Pete,” he said. “So you think you’d like to take a longer ride soon? Maybe out on the highway?”
“Can we?!” Peter asked eagerly.
Jake reached out and ran a hand down his arm. “We sure can. But for now, I think we should go inside and celebrate. What do you think, Pete?”
Seeing the hunger in Jake’s eyes, Peter gasped. “Yes,” he said. “Let’s do that.”
Peter walked out of the courtroom and stood in the hallway outside shaking, his hand pressed to his mouth. He didn’t think that he’d ever done anything more difficult in his entire life than taking the stand and testifying about what had happened that night at the convenience store. The only thing that had kept him going had been the presence of Jake, sitting in the first row with his eyes trained on Peter’s face. His eyes seemed to be saying silently: “You can do it, Pete. Don’t let them win.”
And he hadn’t. He’d testified in a steady, calm voice, even when he’d gotten to the part about one of his attackers tracking him down and trying to kill him to keep his mouth shut. Only now, when it was finally over, could he break down and give into the emotions churning around inside of him. He wanted to be sick. He looked around for a bathroom, not wanting to heave all over the shiny marble floor.
“Hey, Pete, you did really well,” he heard a familiar voice say, then Jake’s hand touched his shoulder and the fingers squeezed reassuringly.
That touch steadied him instantly. The nausea receded, and he found that his shaking had stopped. He looked up into his lover’s eyes, and the biker touched his cheek with his free hand. “Doing okay?” he asked softly.
Peter nodded. “I am now,” he said, reaching up to touch Jake’s fingers. “That was awful, Jake,” he whispered.
“I know, baby. But you did it. And it’s over. Those guys are going to jail, some of them for a long time. That cocksucker who tried to knife you should be GLAD that he’s going to be behind bars where I can’t get to him,” he added savagely.
Peter found himself smiling. “Yes, he should be,” he agreed.
“Let’s go home, Pete,” Jake said. “I’ll make you dinner, run you a hot bath, and give you a massage. Sound good?”
“It sounds great,” Peter replied fervently. “Really great.”
The roar of motorcycles filled the air, and the parking lot of the road house was a sea of chrome, metal, denim, and leather. A big black-and-chrome bike pulled into the parking lot, and when it came to a stop a slender figure crawled off the back and reached up to remove a motorcycle helmet. There were some stares when the other bikers in the parking lot saw that the passenger on the bike was a young man, but nobody said anything when they saw the size of the biker now getting off the bike himself. And then one of them, a grizzled older guy, yelled: “Hey, Jake! How’s it goin’, man?!”
\
He strode over to grab Jake’s hand and squeeze it, in more of a display of who was stronger than a handshake. “Hey, Dan, good to see ya,” Jake replied, returning the squeeze.
“Who’s this?” Dan asked, eyeing Peter.
“Dan, this is Pete. Pete, this is Dan Hoag. We’ve known each other for years. Pete here is my biker babe,” Jake said with a grin.
Peter tensed, waiting for the older man to react badly to this statement. But to his shock, Dan nodded in acceptance. “Was wondering when you’d find somebody, Jake,” he said in genial scorn. “Thought you’d turned into a monk or something.”
“Nah, I could never be a monk. Being celibate is no fun,” Jake replied with a shrug. “Anyhow, I brought Pete along to show him what a biker rally looks like. We’re not going to stay long, though. I know lots of the guys would be pissed about me being with Pete. Just stopped to say hello to you when I saw you here. Knew you wouldn’t care about me and Pete being together.”
“Course not,” the older biker said. “My son just got engaged to Ricky.”
“Ah,” Jake said as Peter’s eyes widened at this statement. “Congratulations, Dan. When’s the wedding?”
“Next year in New York. I’m lookin’ forward to it. You want me to send you an invite?”
“Sure. Let me give you my address,” Jake produced a piece of paper and pencil from somewhere in his leather vest and wrote down their address. “We’ll mostly be here, though Pete’s agreed to take some trips with me,” Jake told Dan as he handed the slip of paper to him.
“Ah, settling down in your old age, eh?” Dan said, again in genial scorn.
Jake laughed. “Yep, guess so. You know how it is - you find the right one, you’re willing to get all domestic,” Jake said as he put his arm around Peter’s shoulders. “How long did you play the family man for Rosa?”
Dan shrugged. “You got me there,” he agreed. “Man, I still miss her. Anyway, take care of yourself, kid. And it was nice to meet you, Pete. Good to see there’s somebody who could tame this beast, here,” he jerked a thumb at Jake, who snorted.
“It was nice to meet you, too, Dan,” Peter said softly.
Dan eyed him, then Jake. “He seems too nice for you,” he drawled to Jake.
Jake nodded. “Probably. But I’m still keeping him,” he pulled Peter up against him possessively.
“Heh. You do that. Bring him to the wedding.” Dan said heartily.
“I will. Come on, Pete. We should get going. I want to reach a good motel before dark so we can get something to eat.”
“Okay. Goodbye, Dan,” Peter said as Jake straddled his bike.
“See ya, kid. I’ll send you that invite, Jake,” Dan lifted a hand as Peter crawled on the back of the bike and put his arms around Jake’s waist.
“Later, Dan. We’ll be there,” Jake also lifted his hand, before he pulled out of the parking lot of the road house in a roar of engine noise.
Peter lay on the bed in the motel and sighed. Riding the bike wasn’t scary for him anymore, but it DID make his lower back hurt dully. He was glad for a comfortable mattress to cushion him. Jake was outside doing something to the bike, leaving Peter to rest. He reached out and picked up the remote control, clicking on the TV.
Jake breezed in, smiling when he saw Peter stretched out on the bed. “Getting ready for me, baby?” he teased.
Peter looked up at him, and managed a faintly sultry smile of his own. “Maybe,” he said throatily.
Jake drew in a harsh breath. “You know how sexy you look in those clothes?” he said, his eyes running over the denim and leather that Peter was clad in.
“Do I? Show me how sexy I am, Jake,” Peter purred as he stretched his arms invitingly over his head.
Jake strode over to the bed and sat down, reaching out to pull Peter into his embrace. He kissed his lover’s lips deeply, making Peter moan for him. When he pulled back he said quietly: “Thanks for coming on this trip with me, Pete. The only really bad thing about life on the road is how lonely you can get. But now I’m not lonely anymore, so life is perfect.”
He looked deep into Jake’s eyes. “And I’m with you, so my life is perfect, too,” he said simply.
Jake smiled. “Good to hear it. Because I may go lots of places after this, but I’ll always come back to you, Pete. You’re the home I’ve always wanted to come back to. I love you, baby.”
He put his arms around Jake’s neck. “I love you, too, Jake. With all my heart.” he paused, then laughed suddenly.
Jake’s brows lifted a little. “What’s so funny?”
“I think that whatever happens in my life after this, it’s always going to be a wild ride,” Peter replied, his eyes sparkling.
Jake mock-leered at him. “You got that right, sexy. I’ll definitely always give you a wild ride,” he said, just before he pushed Peter down on the bed and proceeded to keep his word.
The End